Prevalence of optic disc haemorrhages in an elderly UK Caucasian population and possible association with reticular pseudodrusen—the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002–2006)

Wilde, Craig; Poostchi, Ali; Narendran, Rajesh; MacNab, Hamish K.; Hillman, Jonathan G.; Alexander, Phillip; Amoaku, Winfried M.; Vernon, Stephen A.

Abstract

Aims: To determine disc haemorrhages (DH) prevalence in an elderly UK population-the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP).
Methods: Thirty-degree (30°) fundus photographs (3549 participants ≥65 years) were graded for DH/macula changes. Glaucoma evaluation included Goldmann tonometry, 26-point suprathreshold visual-fields and mydriatic slit-lamp assessment for glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
Results: 3548 participants with photographs in at least one eye. DH were present in 53 subjects (1.49%), increasing from 1.17% (65-69-year age-group) to 2.19% (80-84-year age53 group), p=0.06. DH was found in 9/96 (9.38%) right eyes (RE) with open angle glaucoma (OAG). Two of twelve RE (16.67%) with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) had DH. Prevalence in eyes without glaucoma was lower (32/3452, [0.93%]). Reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) occurred in 170/3212 (5.29%) subjects without DH, and 8/131 subjects (6.11%) with OAG. Twenty (20) eyes had normal tension glaucoma (NTG), 2 of whom had RPD (10%) (p=0.264). Within a logistic regression model, DH was associated with glaucoma (OR 10.2, 95% CI 5.32 - 19.72) and increasing age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.10, p=0.03). DH was associated with RPD (p=0.05) with univariate analysis but this was not statistically significant in the final adjusted model. There was no significant association with gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension treatment or AMD grade.
Conclusion: DH prevalence is 1.5% in those over 65 years old and significantly associated with glaucoma and increasing age. There appears to be increased RPD prevalence in eyes with DH and NTG with age acting as a confounding factor. Larger studies are required to fully assess the relationship and investigate a possible shared aetiology of choroidal ischaemia.

Citation

Wilde, C., Poostchi, A., Narendran, R., MacNab, H. K., Hillman, J. G., Alexander, P., …Vernon, S. A. (2019). Prevalence of optic disc haemorrhages in an elderly UK Caucasian population and possible association with reticular pseudodrusen—the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002–2006). Eye, 33(4), 580-586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-018-0263-4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 27, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Deposit Date: Apr 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 2, 2019
• Journal: Eye
• Print ISSN: 0950-222X
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-5454
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 580-586
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-018-0263-4
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1815704
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-018-0263-4